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| Why so many medication shortages?: Rants and Musings of a Retail Pharmacist |
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by The Redheaded Pharmacist - June 10, 2011
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Provided by The Redheaded Pharmacist
The title of my post today is a simple question that I’ve heard many within the profession including myself ask recently. Why are there so many drug shortages in the United States now and what if anything can we do about it? How do we help patients who have prescriptions for medications that are in short supply or are simply unavailable?
I can’t even list the number of prescription medications I’ve had a difficult time ordering for patients in recent memory. Everything from methylphenidate to triamterene and everything in between seems to be back-ordered, recalled, discontinued, or otherwise in short supply. Even biological agents like some vaccinations seem to be difficult to obtain for patients. Why is that?
I’ve noticed a trend in recent years. The number of back-ordered, recalled, and out of stock merchandise has risen dramatically. It seems like seeing the phrase “long term back-order” is as common now as “no refills remaining” or “prior authorization required.” There is a daily battle at work to be able to supply customers with the medications they need. It is very troubling and concerning to me.
I can’t help but wonder about our manufacturing standards and quality control in this country. So many recalls are showing up in my in box at work it almost seems like a daily duty to check stock for some recalled product. And there have been massive recalls of even over the counter products mostly due to quality control issues. Looking for some brand named Tylenol products? Yeah, you may not find them even now thanks to recent recalls.
I know that there are legitimate reasons for a shortage in supply of any particular prescription medication. Lack of raw materials, excessive demand, recalls, warehouse shortages, and manufacturing problems can all add to the problem. But it seems like these issues have become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Do we have a crisis coming with drug availability or are these shortages a temporary issue that should resolve itself in due time?
I don’t know the answer to that question but it seems like more often than I would like I don’t have the medication an individual patient needs at any one given moment. That leaves pharmacy staff members all across the country scrambling to try and find the out of stock product at another store or even calling practitioners to ask about a replacement product.
I also wonder about how the FDA plays into this recent trend in shortages? Are they stepping up their efforts to oversee quality control in the manufacturing industry? Are they more concerned about safety? Or does government intervention have little or no impact on these recent supply problems we are all facing?
Personally, I simply try to direct a patient to a pharmacy that does have a drug we don’t in stock or order the product in for them. Usually, it only takes a few days tops to get anything in a patient could ever need. But now with more products on long term back-order even waiting for a supplier’s order to come in isn’t an option for some patients. At that point it is off to the phone or fax to ask a prescriber for an alternative therapy.
I guess I am a little confused and frustrated by the whole drug availability issues we are facing now. It just seems like these problems have ramped way up in recent years and I’m not quite sure why. I just hope these kinds of issues are merely temporary problems and not a trend towards a continued availability issue with several prescriptions.
What do you think is the underlying issue here? Is there a manufacturing problem at play? Is demand simply out pacing supply? Should we all be concerned? It is frustrating enough to have to deal with all of the other problems you can face in the pharmacy world without having to worry about being able to order medications for a patient. I’m hoping this is a shorter term problem that will correct itself soon. Otherwise, I’d better get used to saying “I’m sorry, we don’t have this in stock” to patients in the future. And honestly, it feels like I say that all the time already!
The Redheaded Pharmacist
The Redheaded Pharmacist has been working full time in retail pharmacy for more than a decade. He is in his mid 30s, and, yes, he has red hair.
Disclaimer: This blog represents the opinions of the author and the author alone. It does not represent any pharmacy group or organization. I also will leave out or change the names of patients/customers to protect their privacy and comply with government regulations regarding patient privacy rights and personal information.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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